R&B singer Pleasure P best known as a onetime member of Pretty Ricky has stirred quite the hornet’s nest in music circles by claiming that he wrote Lil Wayne’s monster 2008 hit single “Lollipop,” without receiving proper credit or getting paid. Pleasure P has taken to social media to vent about losing what he feels is his rightfully deserved share of recognition and earnings from a song that reportedly has reaped returns of more than $28 million. The comments have sparked a new debate about fairness and transparency in the music business.
Pleasure P described how he was allegedly involved in “Lollipop,” saying he cowrote the song with Static Major before he released said album. Pleasure P also said his publishing rights were taken from him, making him uncredited and unpaid for his contribution on the hit track.
In an intense viral video, he noted, “Lollipop was a song that I wrote and I never got paid for. I never got credit for it, which is the thing to this day that still like keeps me up at night.” He insisted that given the massive success of this song, he is legally due a percentage with the multi-million-dollar-generated revenue.
This isn’t the first time “Lollipop” has had controversies of credit and payment. In 2011 the producer Deezle sued Lil’ Wayne for back royalties-echoing some of those same concerns that arose initially in the song’s legal history.
Lollipop,” after its release in 2008, was an instant hit, a cultural phenomenon-one might say one of his most popular tracks. This song features the late Static Major, who unfortunately died before the release of this song. It went on to top many music charts around the world and made Lil Wayne one of the leading artists in hip-hop.
The song’s seductive melodies, coupled with its new and innovative production at the time, made it very commercially successful. It reportedly earned in excess of $28 million and was a key driver in increasing Lil Wayne’s net worth. Official credits for the song include: Lil Wayne, Static Major, Deezle, Jim Jonsin, and Rex Zamor.
Pleasure P’s recent allegations have cast a shadow on the song’s celebrated legacy, bringing to light unresolved questions about its creative origins.
The claims of Pleasure P went viral and received mixed comments from fans and industry types. Some have come up in support of the artist, believing that he should be recognized as an artist and compensated. Others remain skeptical due to lack of official documentations that prove his various claims.
That spilled over into broader discussions of songwriting credits, and more importantly, the systemic hurdle for artists in trying to see that their contributions aptly recognized. The music industry has consistently fought its demons over a series of royalty and publishing rights disputes which so often leaves the contributor to be buried in the dust of the success of one’s work.
The situation with “Lollipop” epitomizes these issues; in 2011 Deezle filed a suit that underlined just exactly how complicated the credits-or lack thereof-can get regarding blockbuster singles. Up till today, not a single word has been uttered officially from Lil Wayne or his camp concerning Pleasure P’s allegations. The lack of reaction thus leaves room for the most speculation over the authenticity of Pleasure P’s claim and any steps if any at all would be made to handle it.
